Locking mechanism for sliding car doors



- I 1,628,167 M. 1927' F. MA'cHAvA I LOCKING MECHANISM FOR SLIDINGCARDOORS Filed Oct; '7 1925 I Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

- May 10,1927. 1,628,167

F'. MACHAVA LOCKING MECHANISM FOR SLIDINCT CAR DOORS Filed Oct. 7, 19252 Sheets-Sheet 2 23 134 8 I I IJ Z I /I i I s F F I Y s IN V EN TOR.

' reference Patented May 10, 1927.

UNITED STATES FRANK MACHAVA, OF SOUTH GREENSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR SLIDING CAR DOORS.

Application filed October 7, 1925. Serial No. 60,988.

My invention relates to a locking mechanism for sliding car doors, andthe primary object of the invention is to provide a device of thecharacter described which will prevent the entrance of unauthorizedpersons to railroad cars, equipped therewith.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of the typestated, in a manner as hereinafter referred to, which is simple in itsconstruction and arrangement, strong, durable and efiicient in its use,and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

WVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention hereinafter disclosed can be made within thescope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification and. wherein likenumerals of designate corresponding parts throughout the several viewsFigure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the interior of arailroad car provided with a door securing mechanism constructed inaccordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the locking mechanism with thecasing cover removed therefrom.

Figure 8 is a sectional view on line III- III, Figure 2.

Figure 1 is a sectional view on line IV IV. Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the key bolt withassociated parts.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the key.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of the rear end of the car doorand associated parts.

Referring in detail to the drawing 1 de notes the side wall of therailroad box pro vided with the usual sliding door 2 supported byhangers 3. Therear end of the door 2 is provided with hooked holders 4,which engage in apertured ears 5, fixed in the marginal edge of theouter side of the door opening for securing the rear end of the door 2when the latter is in the closed position.

The door locking mechanism is mounted on the lnside of the car slde walland comprises a rectangular casing 6 which is fixed to the side of thecar by means of bolts 7. The cover 8 is secured to the casing 6 by meansof the bolts 9, and the forward portron 10 thereof is hinged as at 11,for the purpose to be described. A flat spring 12, carried by the cover8 and engaging the hm ged portion 10, normally acts to force the latterto the open position.

The latching bar 13 is shiftably mounted on a fixed guide block 14; inthe casing 6 and the rear upper end thereof is pivotally connected, asat 15, to the lower end of the connecting block 16. The latter extendsthrough an elongated slot in the top wall of the casing 6 and has itsupper end fixed to the gear bar 17, slidably mounted on the outerface-of the top wall of the casing 6. A castor 18 is carried on thelower end of the latching bar 13 and travels on the inner face of thelower wall of the casing 6. The latching bar 13 is mounted to permit oflongitudinal movement thereof in the casing 6, and also the lateralmovement of the forward end which is formed to provide a latch ing hook18, adapted to engage the associated apertured locking plate 19, carriedby the door 2, for securing the latter in the locked position. A flatspring 20 is carried by the casing 6 and engages the outer side of thelatching bar 13 for normally forcing the latching hook 18 inwardly andinto engagement with the associated locking plate 19.

An actuating yoke 21 is pivotally connected, as at 22, in the casing 6and engages the inner side of the latching bar 13 for forcing the latteroutwardly against the action of the spring 20 when releasing" thelatching hook 18 from the locking plate 19, in the manner to bedescribed. l

The actuating yoke 21 is provided with a forwardly extending projection23 which is engaged by the head 24 fixed to the top of the verticallydisposed pin 25. The pin 25 is eccentrically mounted in the gear 26,which latter is rotatably mounted oiftlie bottom wall of the casing 6. r

The key bolt 27 is rotatably mounted in the casing 6 the outer end 28thereof projecting through the car side wall 1 while the inner end 29 isjournaled in the casing cover 8. The key bolt 27 is provided with arectangularly shaped aperture 30 open at the outer end 28 and adaptedfor the reception of the rectangularly shaped body portion 31 of the key32. The bolt 2? is provided at its top with a slot 33. A plug 34 ismounted in the slot 33 and is supported therein by a spring which isfixed to the periphery of the bolt 27 as indicated at- 36. The lower endof the plug 34 normally depends into the aperture 30 and is providedwith a tapered outer wall 37. The depending portion of the plug 34normally closes are reduced aperture 33 formed in the key bolt 27 andprevents the operation of the locking mechanism by an implement otherthan the key intended therefor, in a manner to be described.

The kev bolt 2. is provided at its top and adjacent to its "ear end witha notch. 39 extending in alignment with the reduced aperture and open atits upper end. The notch 39 is intended for the reception of the lowerend of the catch 40 which is pivted, as at 41, in the casing 6. Theupper end of the catch 40 is engaged by a spring fixed in the casing 6.The action of the spring 42 normally operate: the catch 40 to engage inthe notch 39 and lock the key bolt 27 against rotation.

The key 32 is provided with a slide 43 embedded in the body portion 31and which carries a projecting pin 44. The latter i'i'iay be drawn intothe body portion 31 if the slide 43 is pulled back when the key is notin The catch 40 is released from its engagement in the notch 39 byinserting the key 32 into the key bolt aperture 30. The body portion 31on entering the latter will engage the tapered plug wall 37 therebyforcing the plug 34 out of the aperture 30. After the key 32 has beeninserted in the aperture 30, the slide 43 is shoved inwardly causing thepin 44 to enter the reduced aperture 38 and disengage the catch 40 fromhe notch 39, thereby permitting of the rotation of the bolt 27 by thekey 32 to operate the locking mechanism in the manner hereinafterdescribed.

A bar 45 is shiftably mounted in respective guides 46 and 4? fixed inthe casing 6. The top of the bar 45 is provided with gear teeth 48,which mesh with the actuating gear 49 formed on the periphery of the keybolt 27, adjacent to the rear end of the latter. The outer side of thebar 45 is also provided with gear teeth 50 which mesh with the gear 26.The rear end of the bar 45 carries a spiral spring 51, which abutsagainst the guide 47 and normally acts to force the bar 45 forwardly inthe casing 6.

After inserting the key 32 in the bolt 27 and thereby releasing thecatch 40 from the notch 39, as above described, the key 32 is turned inthe counter clockwise direction, causing the gear 49 in mesh with thegear teeth 48, to shift the bar 45 rearwardly in the guides 46 and 47.As the gear teeth 5O are in mesh with the gear 26, the latter will berotated by the movement of the bar 45, thereby causing the head 24,connected to the gear 26 by the pin 25, to engage the yoke projection23. Such engagement will actuate the yoke 21 to force the rear end ofthe latching bar 13 outwardly and release the latching hook 18 from itsengagement with the locking plate 19 and allow the opening of the cardoor 2.

The latching bar 13 being longitudinally shiftable in the casing 6, theformer is auto n'iatically shifted forwardly in the latter so that thelatching hook 18 will be completely retracted, in the casing 6 when thedevice is in the unlocking posit-ion. This will prevent the latchingbook 13 from beiin an obstruction when loading or unloading freightcargo through the door opening.

The automatic retraction of the latching bar 13 is effected by themovement of the operating rod 51 slidably supported in the rackets 52,and 54, which latter are fixed in upper end of the car wall 1. A collaris fixed on the rod 51, and a spiral spring 56 is mounted on the rod 51intermediate of the collar 55 and the bracket 53. The action of thespring 56 normally tends to force the rod 51 rearwardly. A bumper 57 isfixed in the rear end of the rod 51 and extends outwardly through anelongated slot formed along the upper end of the side wall 1. The bumper57 is arranged in the path of travel of the door hanger 3 and is shiftedthereby when the door 2 is drawn to the closed posi tion.

A gear 58 is rotatably supported on. the car side wall 1 and meshes withthe gear bar 17. The gear 58 is also in mesh with the gear bar 59mounted on the lower end of the connecting rod 60. The upper end of thelatter is fixed to the rod 51 and shifts therewith.

A guide plate 61 is secured to the lower end of the casing 6 and isformed with an elongated slot 62. A clamping rod 63, carrying arotatable roller 64, is rigidly connected to the lower end of theconnecting rod and extends through the slot 62, of the guide plate 61.

A forwardly tapered block 65 is mounted on the cover hinged portion 10,of the cover 8, and is engaged by the roller 64 for clamping the hingedcover portion 10 in the closed position when the device is in theunlocked position.

When shifting the car door 2 to the closed position the hanger 3 willstrike the bumper 57 thereby forcing the operating rod 51 for wardly.The forward movement of the rod 51 and of parts fixed thereto, willoperate the gear 58 to shift the gear bar 17 in the reverse or rearwarddirection. As the latter is connected to the latching bar 13, by theblock 16, the latching bar 13 will also be ill till;

shifted rearwardly and project the latching hook 18 from the casing 6.Upon the forward movement of the rod 51 the roller 64 will release thehinged cover portion 10, whereby the latter and the latching bar 13 willbe permitted to shift inwardly to position the latching hook 18 inengagement with the locking plate 19.

When the car door 2 is unlocked and shifted to the open position, theaction of the spring 56 will effect the retraction of the latching hook18 into the casing 6.

What I claim is:

1. In a locking mechanism for a railroad car sliding door, thecombination of a casing being adapted to be secured to the wall of thecar and provided with a cover, a latching bar pivotally connected at itsrear end in said casing, a yoke pivotally connected in said casing andengaging the inner side of said latching bar, said cover having a hingedforward portion shiftable inwardly to the open position to permit of theinward lateral movement of the forward end of said latching bar to thelocking position, means carried by said car door and engaging saidhinged cover portion for releasing the latter when said car door isshifted to the closed position, a spring mounted in said casing andengaging the outer side of said latching bar for shifting the latterlaterally inward to the locking position when said cover portion isreleased, and a key bolt mounted in said casing and operable to actuatesaid yoke for shifting said locking bar to the unlocking position,substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a locking mechanism for a railroad car sliding door, thecombination of a casing being adapted to be secured to the wall of thecar and provided with a cover, a latching bar pivotally connected at itsrear end and longitudinally shiftable in said casing, a yoke pivotallyconnected in said casing and engaging the inner side of said latchingbar, said cover having a hinged forward portion shiftable inwardly tothe open position to permit of the inward lateral movement of theforward end of said latching bar to the locking position, means carriedby said car door and engaging said hinged door por tion for releasingthe latter when said car door is shifted to the closed position, aspring mounted in said casing and engaging the outer side of saidlatching bar for shift- H ing the latter laterally inward to the lockingposition when said cover portion is released, and a key bolt mountedin said casing and operable to actuate said yoke for shifting saidlocking bar to the unlocking position, said means operating to projectsaid latching bar from said casing when the car door is shifted to theclosed position and to retract said latching bar within said casing whenthe car door is shifted to the open position; substantially as describedand for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

FRANK MACHAVA.

